Wire screen.



C. W. WARNHOFF- WIRE SCREEN.

APPLICATION HLEB mus. 191s Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

CHARLES W. WARNHOFF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WIRE SCREEN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES V. WARN- HOFF, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Wire Screens, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as Wlll enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' This invention relates to wire screens such as are used on the doorand window openings of buildings to exclude flies and other insects.

The main object of my mvention is to provide a window screen thatv 13mounted and retained in operative position in the window frame in anovel manner; that reduces the cost of manufacturing and 1nstalling thescreen; that enables the screen to be removed from the window frame orarranged in operative position quickly and easily and which overcomesmany ob ectionable features of the adjustable window screens now ingeneral use. Another object of my invention is to provide a woodenframewire screen in which the wire or' screen cloth is covered where it i myinvention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail so the is attached'to' thefram'e by removable original portions of the members that constituteframe.

Other objectsa'nddesirable features of my invention will be hereinafterpointed out.

" Figure 1- of-the drawings is a front elevation'al' view of a windowequipped with a wire screen constructed in'accordance with 'tional viewtaken on the line 66 of Fig. 2; and Fig; 7' is a perspective view of apiece 'of thJ.-.molding fromwhich my improved screen is formed. I

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of myinvention, A designates the framefof my improved screen which comprisestwo side members and a top andbottom'member that are connected togetherin any suitable manner,-said mem- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed Jaruary 2 5, 1915. Serial N 0. 4,236. I

bers either being mitered at the corners of the screen, as'shown in Fig.l, or butted together in a well known manner. The screen is arranged inthe frame B of the window either on the outside of the window sash or onthe inside of the window sash, the screen herein shown being arranged onthe outside of the sash. In fitting the screen to the, window frame Iprefer to make the frame A of the screen narrowenough so I thatcomparatively wide joints w will be formed between the side membersofthe frame A and the adjacent side members of the window frame B so as toeliminate the possibility of the screen sticking in the window frame incase the window, frame or the frame of the screen, which are formed ofwood, swell or expand. The screen is retained in operative position inthe window frame by means of stop strips 1 on the window frame that fitin rabbets or notches formedin the side members of the screen frame A atthe inner side of said frame and cooperating retaining devices 2 on thewindow frame B that project laterally therefrom and lap over or bearagainst the front faces of the side members of the screen frame A, asshown clearly inFigs. 1 and 2, it being preferably to employ fourretaining devices to hold the screen in position, one pair of said ingarranged adjacent the. bottom of the screen. The stop strips 1 not onlyact as stops or abutments, which prevent the screen from moving inwardlywith relation to the window frame, but they also act as closures for thewide joints m at the sides of the screen frame to prevent [lies andother insects'from passing through said oints. To remove the screen itis only'necessary to ,raise the frame A highenough so that the loweredge of, same will clear the bottom retaining devices 2, then swing theframe A outwardly and move it downwardly so as to withdraw the upperedge portion of same from engagement with the upper pair ofretainingdevices 2. To mount the screen in operative position these operatlonsare reverse,the upper edge portion of the screen being slipped under theupper pair of reta-ining devices 2 and moved upwardly high enough toenable the lower edge portion of the screen to be drawn inwardly overthe bottom pair ofretaining devices 2.

N o hooks or similar fastening devices are devices being arrangedadjacent the top of the screen and the other pair beemployed to hold'thescreen in operative position in the window frame, and as the screen ofthe frame is fitted loosely to the Window frame, or, in other words,wide joints are left between the coeperating side members of saidframes, there is no liability of the screen becoming stuck or jammed inthe window frame, due to swelling of the frame plunger is.a bent fingerpiece?) of the screen or the frame of the window. Consequently, myimproved screen can. be removed and arranged in operative position morequickly and more easily than possible with the window screens now ingeneral use which are either retained in position by means of hooks. orby means of verticallydisposed guide rails or ribs on the window framethat project into grooves formed in the side edges of the frame of thescreen, such screens being usually fitted so snugly in the window frame,in order to produce tight joints between the cooperating side members ofsame, that any swelling or expansion of the window frame or the frame ofthe screen causes the screen to stick or bind so tightly that the screenis frequently marred or damaged during the operation of removing it orarranging it in position in the window frame.

In addition to the desired features above mentioned, my improved screencan be installed quickly and easily, as the means which retains it inposition consists of two simple step strips 1 that can be tacked to thewindow frame B quickly and four simple clips or retaining devices 2 thatcan be tacked to the window frame by a person having no skill incarpentry or screen fitting.

In a full length screen ora screen that extends from the top to thebottom of the window frame B a top cross stop strip 1 is provided at theupper portion of the window frame so that the inner side of the topmember of the screen frame A 'will bear against same, as shown in Fig.t, the frame A of the screen being enough shorter than the window frameB to permit the screen to be raised slightly so thatthe lower edgeportion of same will clear the bottom pair of retaining devices 2 duringthe operation of removing the screen or arranging it in position in thewindow frame. If desired, a full len th screen could be provided at itslower edge with adjustable locking devices 3 that eo operate with thewindow frame instead of employing a pair of stationary retaining devices'2 on the window frame to prevent the lower edge portion of the screenfrom swinging outwardly.

The locking devices each consist of a plunger whose lower end portionenters a hole 3 in the sill of the window frame when the plunger ismoved downwarly after the screen has been properly positioned. At theupper end of said which the -portion of the screenloutwardly.

3 illustrated inI ig 4:

operator can grasp to disengage the plunger from thesill and to swingthe lower edge Such a locking device can be formed conveniently from apiece of stiff wire and can be connected to the lower cross member ofthe frame of the screen by means of staples 4, as shown in Fig. 4:, theplunger B being preferably provided at a point intermediate the staplesor guides 4 with a curved portion 3 which acts as astop that strikesagainst the upper. staple t, and thus limits the upward movement of the.plunger. Normally, the hook or finger piece 3 at the upper end of theplunger 3 extends parallel with the bottom cross member of the frame ofthe screen, but when it is desired to release the screen said hook orfinger piece is moved upwardly and given a quarter turn, as shown inFig.4, so that it will occupy a convenient tain a curved bearing surfacethat contacts with the front face of. the frame of the screen. hen thescreen is being removed or arranged in operative position the upperportion of the screen fulcrum sol rocks upon the curved portions 2taming devices 2 and when the screen ls-beof the top pair of .re-

ing arranged in operative position the curved'or half round portions 2on the bottom pair of retaining devices tend to guide the lower portionof the screen inwardly into proper position.

'As previously stated, one feature of my present invention consists in"a screen in which the wire or screen cloth is covered where it isattached to the frame by removable original portions of the members thatconstitute said frame. In the wooden frame screens now in use the frameis provided with a rabbet or groove in which the wire is clamped byretaining strips" formed from thin strips of wood or pieces ofmoldingthat are separate and distinct and which are formed;independently of the members that constitute the frame of the screen. Inmanufacturing the frame the material that is removed from the 'framemembers to form the groove or r'abbet is wasted, and when the frame isbeing put together aseparate operation is regni fed to join or fit theends of the pieces offriiolding or strips that secure the wire or screen'cloth to the frame, thus adding considerable to the cost of to impartsufficient manufacturing the screen. Inmy improved screen the edgeportions of the-wireor screen cloth is. .coveredby removable originalportions of the members that. CQ stitute from which the screen of theframe is formed a strip of wood is run through a suitable machine thatmolds the top face of theportion 5' of the strip and forms'a groove 5 inthe strip. At the same operation a slot 5 is formed in one edge of the.strip parallel to the top and bottom faces of same and at right anglestothe groove 5 but not intersecting same, so as to form a portion 5 thatcan be easily broken away from the strip, owing to the fact that it isjoined to same at only one point, namely, at the inner endof the slot 5and the bottom ofthe groove 5, as shown in Fig. 7.

The frame A of the screen is formed from pieces or strips of molding ofthis character', or, in other words, of the construction shown in Fig'.7, and after the members constituting said frame have been fitted andjoined together, the portion5 of each member is broken off, thus leavinga rabbet. at the inner edge of the frame for receiving the screen cloth.After the screen cloth has been stretched and ,secured in the rabbet ofthe frame A the removable original portions 5 of the frame are placedover the screen'cloth and arranged in said rabbet so as to hide the edgeportions of the screen cloth and impart a finished appearance. to thescreen, the removable portions 5 being retained in position bymeans ofbrads or in any other suitable manner. By forming the frame of thescreen from four pieces of 'material instead of eight pieces ofmaterial, as has heretofore been the general practice,

Imaterially reduce the cost of manufacturing the screen and I also savea great deal of time and labor in building the screen, owing to the factthat only four members instead of eight members have to be fitted orjoined together, it, of course, being understood that the removableportions 5 of. the members constituting the frame of the screen are notdetached or broken oil" until after said frame members haven been joinedtogether. While I have illustrated this feature of my invention inconnection with window screen that isheld in a window frame in a novelmanner, I do'not wish it to be understoodthat said feature is lim- Iitedyto ,a window screen, as a screen door frame and any type of woodenframe screen Q'can be formed in this manner without departing from thespirit of my invention,

which, broadly stated, co'nsistsvin a screen having a wooden frameformed from members that are provided with'removable original portionsthat cover the edge portion of the screen cloth and impart a finishedapv pearan'ce to the frame of the screen.

lVhile the retaining devices 2 previously described are used primarilyfor holding a screen in operative positionvin the frame of a window,they can also be used for retain-' ing a storm sash-or storm window inthe 'window frame during the winter -months after the screen hasbeen-removed.

Having thus described my invention,

what I -claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a window screen, the combination of a window frame provided withvertically-disposed stop strips, a screen frame having rabbets orrecesses formed in the mner faces of its side members so as to receivesaid stop strips, and laterally-project.- ing retaining devices on thewindow-frame arranged adjacent'the top and bottom of the screen that lapover the front face of the screen frame, said devices having plates likebase portions that are securely con- -nected to the wlndow frame andrigid screen-engaging portions that have curved faces. I v v 2, A screenmolding consisting of astrip of material having a longitudinaligroove orslot formed in one'dfits faces, and hav ing a longitudinalslot or grooveformed in its edge that projects inwardly toward the groove or slot justmentioned but does not lntersect same.

3. A screen molding consisting of a strip I of material provided with aremovable original portion that can be detached so as to provide arabbet or space for receiving-the screen cloth, said removable portionbeing joined throughout its entire length to the strip.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this twenty-third day of January, 1915.

GEORGE R. LADsorr, GEORGE RAKEWELL.

